Aminat Idrees Wins Taekwondo Gold Medal While 8 Months Pregnant

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Nigerian athlete, Aminat Idrees, just won the Taekwondo gold medal while eight months pregnant, Blavity reports.

Idrees participated in Taekwondo’s Mixed Poomsae category, a form of exercise that showcases the hand and leg techniques of the sport at The National Sports Festival in Edo, Nigeria, last week. After her electrifying performance, Idrees took home the gold medal, she was praised by festival organizers for being “inspiring.”

“It’s such a privilege for me. I just decided to give it a try after training a couple of times…It feels really good. Before I got pregnant, I have always enjoyed training, so it didn’t seem different with pregnancy,” Idrees told reporters. 

The 26-year-old underwent a complete medical exam before she could participate and was cleared by doctors after training for months. She feels like her win is an opportunity to introduce others to the art of Taekwondo.

“A lot of people don’t understand what Taekwondo is actually about. I feel this is an avenue to educate people about this. Taekwondo has two branches: the combat sport and Poomsae…I participated in [the] Poomsae event,” Idrees said.

In addition to her gold medal, Idrees also took home a silver medal in the female team Poomsae category and an individual bronze medal. She lead as a top athlete at the festival and made history as the first athlete to win a gold medal for her hometown, Lagos state. 

“I felt there wasn’t much risk attached to it, so I decided to give it a try. My doctor, as well as the organizing body of the games, certified me fit to participate in the non-contact sport,” said Idrees.

Congratulations Aminat!

Photo Courtesy of National Sports Festival 2020 and @AminatIdrees/Twitter